THE WHITE SEA BASS 331 



but one hundred feet from shore, we had taken no 

 boatman, and now we were in a dilemma. The first 

 fish was towing the boat ahead at a good pace, while 

 the second dashed astern, and a tug of war followed, 

 which aroused no little enthusiasm among the observ- 

 ers on the wharf and in the boats. But it was a short 

 run. The second fish in a violent flurry broke the 

 line and left the field to the first victim. The boat 

 was a light skiff, and the fish carried it along as if it 

 were being rowed. By this time three other boats 

 had hooked bass, and were rushing about in various 

 directions, making a most animated scene. A lady 

 nearly ran our boat down, being utterly unable to 

 control her fish, the latter finally taking her entirely 

 across the bay. It was landed half an hour later on 

 a hand-line, and found to weigh eighty pounds. My 

 fish was brought in in about twenty minutes, and in 

 less than that time another was hooked. 



And so the sport became fast and furious. Twenty 

 or more boats were out, and nearly all hooked and 

 landed from one to five white sea bass, among which 

 there probably was not more than one which tipped 

 the scales at less than fifty pounds, that being the 

 minimum; and the largest was nearly eighty pounds. 

 The excitement ran high, and boats were seen darting 

 about in every direction, all flat-bottomed skiffs, 

 readily towed by the splendid fishes, which succeeded 

 in playing havoc with many lines and some rods. 

 How many bass were landed this day is not known, 

 but every fisherman had a string; and as the bass is a 

 fine table fish the catch had a monetary value to the 

 boatmen, to whom the anglers gave the fish. For 

 four or five days this sport continued, then suddenly 



